Written by Ken Trahan, President--NewOrleans.Com/Sports
| Friday, 20 November 2009 09:18
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Hornets News
Youth was served at New Orleans Arena Thursday night. So was experience. When the twain meets, New Orleans beats a good opponent.
Rookie Darren Collison scored 11 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter while fellow rookie Marcus Thornton pumped in 19 points as the Hornets fought off Phoenix 110-103 before an enthusiastic crowd of 14,520.
After making just one of his first eleven shots from the field, Collison went three for four and sank all four of his free throws in the decisive period to help the Hornets secure the win. Thornton scored 19 points in just 20 minutes before tweaking an ankle. The injury did not appear serious but he will be day-to-day heading into Saturday night’s home with Atlanta.
While the young guns were firing in deadly fashion for New Orleans, the old stand-by played perhaps his best game as a Hornet this year and in quite some time. Peja Stojakovic nailed seven of 11 three-point attempts, scoring 25 points and pulling down a game-high 13 rebounds for his first double-double since January.
What was noticeable was the excellent spacing, dribble penetration and ball movement of the new-look Hornets. The changes implemented by new head coach Jeff Bower and top assistant Tim Floyd are nowhere near complete but they are obvious and welcome. The Hornets are getting more shots. They are getting more open looks. No one will benefit more from the changes than Stojakovic, who looked rejuvenated in his starting role under the new brain trust.
Another old-guard member, guard Devin Brown, was outstanding as well. Brown defended well, was aggressive in driving to the hoop and made perimeter shots on the way to a 19 point, six rebound, five assist performance. Emeka Okafor was solid with 13 points and 12 rebounds.
Keep in mind that just eight days prior to this victory, the Hornets were embarrassed 124-104 at Phoenix in a game that wasn’t that close. The result was a coaching change, with Byron Scott being dismissed the next morning. Chris Paul played in that game. It didn’t matter.
Chris Paul did not play in Thursday night’s game. It did not matter. Collison and Thornton picked up the slack nicely. Under Scott, the two promising rookies were only promised to sit the bench or remain inactive. They were said to be “not ready” to play. They have certainly looked ready under Bower in the four games since.
When you factor in David West’s subpar six point, four rebound effort on two of 11 shooting from the field, the win over the Suns was even more impressive. Collison and Stojakovic scored 15 of the last 19 points for the Hornets with both hitting huge threes in succession to take the lead for good. The Hornets sank 10 of their final 11 free throws to put the Suns away.
While the Hornets still don’t appear to be going anywhere in terms of championship aspirations this season, the direction of the team appears to be more promising.
What you liked about Collison is that he showed toughness to overcome a poor shooting effort for three quarters. He was tough when it mattered, indicating mental toughness. He showed quickness, ball security and made good decisions. Collison had just one turnover in 32 minutes.
Thornton is a scorer. He can man the point position when necessary. In fact, when the Hornets fell eight points behind in the third quarter, Bower made a shrewd move in pairing Thornton and Brown in the backcourt and the Hornets rallied to re-take the lead 78-76 heading to the final quarter.
The Hornets held the lead after every quarter. They started the game on a 15-2 game, displaying great energy. While the Suns endured and counterpunched, the Hornets survived quite well, jabbing back with great frequency.
Despite being a small team and not known for their rebounding, the Hornets grabbed 25 offensive rebounds and totaled 38 second-chance points. New Orleans dominated the boards by a 56-38 margin.
In the process, New Orleans took down the West’s best record. Phoenix came in 10-2 overall. On Saturday night, the Hornets face another 10-2 team in Atlanta at New Orleans Arena, another team that recently crushed the Hornets in Atlanta. This will provide another stage for the Hornets to show just how far they have progressed under their new leadership. The project is still under construction but it is starting to take shape.
